The Boy In The Iron Mask
by orphieblue
Summary: AU - A fifteen-year-old Lex Luthor is banished to Smallville to live out his teen years. (Chapter 2 is up)
1. Exile

THE BOY IN THE IRON MASK

Chapter One by Orphieblue

--

Lex knew he was in trouble this time.

Real trouble. "I must say you've truly outdone yourself, my son," said Lionel the moment Lex was ushered into his office. "At the ripe old age of fifteen, this will be the third school you've been expelled from."

Lex threw himself into a chair in front of his father's massive desk. Brazenly, he put a Doc Marten-clad foot on the spotless glass desktop and didn't answer. He stared at the far wall with a bored expression, playing mindlessly with the zipper on his leather jacket.

Inside, he was trembling, but Lionel wasn't to know that. Ever.

Lionel turned around, the huge window of his office framing him, the skyscrapers of Metropolis surrounding his shaggy head. "What am I going to do with you, Lex?"

From any other parent that would sound like an exasperated, but loving, admonishment. From Lionel however, it sounded distinctly like a threat.

"You can leave me alone. It's not like those idiots can teach me anything I can't learn on my own," Lex replied, hoping his father couldn't see the sweat beading on his neck.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you? Left to your own devices forever. Unfortunately, that's a luxury none of us, not even a Luthor, can afford." Lionel slid out from behind the desk and put his hands on the armrest of Lex's chair. He leaned over, putting his mouth right up to Lex's ear. "I'm disappointed in you, son," he whispered. "Very, very disappointed."

Lex stiffened. The sweat drops started to roll. "And this is something new?"

"The emotion, no. The level it's obtained, yes." Lionel replied icily. "I'm thinking this calls for drastic action."

The warm, dangerous breath left Lex ear and he exhaled a silent sigh of relief. "What are you going to do, Dad?" Lex sneered. Rather ineffectually, but it was better than letting his voice shake. "Take away my allowance? Send me to my room?"

Lionel smiled thinly. "I will be sending you somewhere. Somewhere quiet. Where you can have time to think."

Something inside of Lex's chest tightened. His father had often obliquely referred to a "psychiatric" solution to Lex's problems, but Lex always held firm onto the belief that his standing as Lionel Luthor's heir apparent would stop any thoughts of putting him away in a hospital or mental facility of some sort.

Lionel hated bad publicity and what could be worse than sending your only child to the asylum? But still, Lex was confounded. Could it be military school, maybe? A boot camp for wayward teens?

He stole a glance at his father, who stood there smiling broadly, as if laughing at his own private joke. "That's great, Dad," Lex said with false bravado. "I could use a vacation. From all this ..." He swept a hand through the air. "A vacation from you would be nice too," he said pointedly, aiming to wound the gleeful man in front of him.

Lionel didn't fall for the bait. He continued to look quite happy. "You think so? We'll see if that's the case once you spend some time there. A few years should improve your temperament, I think."

"A few years where?" Slightly panicked, but Lex couldn't hide it anymore. "Dad, if you put me away ..."

Lionel laughed out loud. "Put you away? You're quite paranoid for someone so young. No, Lex. I'm not putting you away. Just ... aside. For now. Someday, when you've regained your good sense, I might bring you back. Until then, you'll be in a place where you can't hurt anyone of importance, nor yourself."

Put aside. By his own father. For years, and Lex had to swallow past the large lump forming in the middle of his throat. "Where is it?" he asked, defeated. "Or should I ask ... what is it?"

"It's a familiar place. One we visited some six years ago. It wasn't a pleasant visit, but ..."

Lex's eyes went wide with horror. "Not that ... that ... horrible town with the ... the ..."

"Meteors," replied Lionel. He sat in his chair, his hands folded on the desk. He never looked more content. "You are very quick, Lex. I hope you'll apply that fast thinking to your schoolwork in your new school. I think it's called ..." He pulled up a paper from his desk and squinted at it. "Smallville High. Yes, that's it."

Ignoring Lex's loud protests, Lionel hit the intercom on his desk. "Send Romy in please."

"You can't do this!" Lex cried. "I ... I ... almost died there. Mother promised me I'd never have to go back, ever."

"Your mother isn't here to coddle you anymore," Lionel said coldly, as a burly man entered the office. He addressed him over Lex's head. "Ah, Romy. Thank you for joining us. This is my son, Lex."

Lex whirled around, about to yell at the man, tell him to get the hell out of his face when something he saw in the man's eyes stopped him mid-yell. Romy, as his father called him, was beyond formidable, having a good foot and half on Lex, not to mention being built out of what seemed to be two-hundred pounds of pure muscle. His blonde hair was razor-cut short, military style and his eyes were such an icy cold shade of blue, Lex was forced to look away from them.

One of Dad's uber-goons, Lex thought, shrinking back. He'd met a couple of them in the past year, the ones who'd pulled him out of the clubs at six in the morning to make sure he got back home in one piece, more or less. A few times they'd beaten Lex before bringing him to Lionel, claiming the other clubbers did it, always when Lex had been too drunk to protest.

Very few things frightened Lex, but they did.

This one was even scarier looking than the others. "My pleasure, Mr. Luthor. I look forward to being young Master Luthor's guardian and caretaker."

Cold, deep voice. He even sounded dangerous.

"Dad," Lex tried to appeal to his father, swallowing his pride if he had to. "Dad, please don't do this. I'll do anything you want, but don't send me to that ... place ... with this man. Please, Dad ..."

But Lionel was having none of it. He raised his hand, palm outward, in a gesture of finality. "You're going to the country, Lex. You're going to stay there until you graduate high school and that's final." His expression turned softer -- falsely loving. "You've brought this on yourself, son. I tried to warn you about the direction you were headed in, but you didn't listen. Hopefully, Mr. Marchfield here ..." He gestured toward Romy. "Will be able to succeed where I've failed."

"Dad ..."

"Good-bye, son," Lionel nodded at Romy, who took Lex's arm in an iron grip. "Call me when you arrive."

Lex knew better than to try and shake the goon off. Tearfully, he let Romy lead him out the double doors, ducking his head so no one in the office would see him.

"Raise your head and smile," Romy ordered, with a warning squeeze to Lex's arm. "You're a Luthor. Act like one."

Lex stared at him in shock. The painful grip grew tighter. "You're hurting me," he said, breathing hard, as Romy pulled him into an elevator and hit the "down" button.

The floors flew by as Romy gave Lex a gruesome parody of a smile. "You don't know what pain is, Lex." He shook Lex, hard, until his teeth rattled. "From now on, you do as I say," Romy growled in Lex's face. "Your father has paid me excellent money to make sure you toe the line and toe it you will. When we get out of this elevator, you're going to do exactly as I tell you, until the moment you reenter it, three years from now." He shoved Lex for emphasis. "Now smile, damn you. And keep smiling until we reach the limo."

Lex gasped when his shoulder hit the elevator wall, knocking the breath from him. The doors opened and he quickly pasted a smile on his face, ignoring the throb in his arm. Romy lead him out, smiling also, but the death grip on Lex's elbow didn't loosen, not until they reached the black car waiting in front of the LuthorCorp building.

Romy shoved him inside, then took a seat next to the driver. Lex fell, sprawled out between the seat and the floor and before he could claw his way to the door to escape, the locks clicked shut. The tinted windows rolled closed, shutting him off from the driver ... the air ... the outside world all together.

He was as good as imprisoned. Terrified, Lex slide into the leather seat, shaking fingers scratching at the leather as the car took off.

Lionel couldn't be sending him back to that place. He couldn't!

But a few hours later, the corn fields came into view, as did the mansion, and Lex realized Lionel wasn't bluffing this time.

He was exiling his fifteen-year-old son to accursed town of Smallville, under the care of a madman, for God knew how long.

--

TBC

Chapter Two: Romy lays down the law. First day at Smallville High and a small accident.


	2. Accidental

THE BOY IN THE IRON MASK

Chapter Two by Orphieblue

---

The castle was cold when Lex entered the foyer.

He shivered, running his hands up and down his arms. The leather jacket he wore was fashionable but did little to retain any warmth, just like the mansion itself.

Romy strode in behind Lex, tossing a small suitcase onto the floor. It slide to a stop at Lex's feet and he looked up at the bodyguard in askance. He nudged at it with his foot. "What's this?"

"That's your clothing for now. You'll be awarded more later for good behavior," Romy said. He stared down at Lex until the boy was flinching. "I'll expect you to keep what you have in good condition. If not ..."

Lex didn't have to hear the rest of the sentence. He had an idea of what would happen and it would be nothing good. "So this is what jail is like, I guess. Do I get cigarettes and some outdoor time at least?"

Romy's expression remained stony. "Meals are at seven, four and eight. If you skip one, don't expect anything until the next. You'll be allowed to go to school. When you arrive home, you will do your homework. Once that's done, you'll have access to the mansion grounds. Weekends will be spent at my discretion." His lips ticked upward sarcastically. "If you're a good little boy, maybe I'll let you out for ice cream in a few months."

Lex felt the color drain from his face. Anger was quickly seeping in, past his fear. "Fuck you," he growled, from between clenched teeth. "If you think you can keep me a prisoner here ..."

"You're not a prisoner, Lex. You're Lionel Luthor's son and it's my job to help you appreciate that title," replied Romy, pulling himself up to his full height, making Lex back away. "And that's through the same hard work and discipline your father was brought up with."

"The discipline he's too fucking lazy to dish out himself, huh?" Lex snapped. "He has to hire some half-assed goon to do his dirty work? Some minimum wage jerkoff to keep me from embar ..."

The sentence wasn't finished as a sharp slap across Lex's face stopped him mid-sentence. He stumbled back, his cheek burning, eyes watering with tears at the hot pain.

Scowling, Romy loomed over him. "Next time, I'll crack your head wide open," he said softly, the menace clear. "Now get upstairs to your room and unpack. Stay there until supper. Then, I don't want you to be a minute late."

Still wobbly from the blow, Lex bent to pick up his suitcase. He stumbled a little, but ignoring the dizziness, he picked the luggage up. He ascended the stairs with his head held high, like his mother once taught him to.

_They can never take your dignity, Alexander,_ she once claimed. _Head up, always, my darling._

The memory of her voiced soothed Lex as he deliberately climbed the staircase. He waited until he was in the room, with the door safely locked after before he sat down on the bed and head in his hands, cried to his heart's content.

---

Dinner went by without incident and Lex spent a freezing night in a strange, king-sized bed.

It was November and the Kansas countryside was bitterly cold already. There was no fire in the room and the house's oil heat seemed to disappear seconds after it rose so Lex was left to huddle as best he could beneath a thin quilted comforter, there mostly for show rather than warmth.

He wondered what his club buddies were doing at that moment. Probably getting high and fooling around together, riding in their sleek daddymobiles without a care in the world. In truth, Lex never cared much for the high life in the clubs, he preferred to sit in a comfortable chair and read a good book or listen to music, but his father's constant demanding presence made enjoying such simple pleasures almost impossible.

He had to get out of the penthouse every night or die. And when out, he had to drink to get past his discomfort at his "friends" antics. He didn't like any of them, they all wanted something from him, things he couldn't or wouldn't give them. They mocked him behind his back, sometimes to his face when they thought he was too high to care.

In general, they behaved like jerks and none were worth the title of "friend."

Lex sighed and gathered the quilt closer. He cringed beneath it, shivering with cold. There were few warm clothes in the suitcase Romy gave him, so what was there would have to wait for school. He'd just have to deal with until he could get more.

And deal with it, he would. He wasn't about to let anyone grind him down; not Lionel, certainly not one of Lionel's hired goons. Lex's survival instinct was far too strong for any of that, too strong for anyone who dared to try and break him.

Time was on his side. If he were strong enough -- patient enough -- Lex hoped he could outlast them all.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to get some rest. Tomorrow would be his first day at Smallville High, no doubt replete with the endless snickers and jeers he always seemed to attract. Other kids his own age seemed to be uniformly assholes, so Lex coped by mocking them in ways that usually went right over their thick heads.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it got him expelled from the school as it did the week before, but Lex didn't have the inclination or the energy to play nice. He'd tried that once or twice, it got him nowhere, so now it was kill or be killed.

Even if the weapons of choice were only words.

But words could be deadly, and Lex planned on fighting on this new battleground with everything he had.

---

Running downstairs after dressing Lex discovered he was already late by Romy's standards, if the empty breakfast table was any indication. His stomach grumbled loudly, but Lex simply shrugged and scooped up the set of motorbike keys and five-dollar bill left for him in the food's stead.

Five-freakin'-dollars. Lex shook his head. He was used to throwing away five-dollar bills as if they were pennies, since they were, at least to a billionaire's son.

What-ever, he thought angrily, shoving the money in his pocket. It was better than nothing.

A bookbag was waiting by the garage door. Lex considered leaving it behind -- he'd never bothered with books in any of his other schools, relying purely on his sharp memory -- but Romy would probably wrap it around his neck if he tried to leave it behind. At least this was a nice one; black Italian leather, designer make and Lex slung it sideways across his body.

Jogging through the garage, he found his motorbike. He was still under the driving age for a while longer, so this would have to do, but Lex didn't mind. It was a faithful machine, one of his favorite escape rides and Lex ran an affectionate hand over the handlebars. "It's just you and me, Millie," he said, snickering at the thought of Lionel finding out he named all his vehicles after ex-girlfriends.

Why not? They treated him better than any girl ever had. They deserved nice names.

Lex hopped aboard and gunned the engine. It was loud and powerful in the confines of the garage and Lex strapped on his helmet, smiling. At least the ride to school would be fun.

The automatic door slid open. Lex let the brake up and was off, racing down the mile-long driveway of Luthor Estates. If he stuck to the shortcut roads, he'd be in school fifteen minutes early. That might be enough time to sneak into a classroom and sit in the back, avoiding as much notice as possible.

Corn fields raced by. Lex relaxed, enjoying the powerful bike beneath him, the chilly wind brushing against his face. The roads were pleasantly empty, so Lex opened the engine some more, pushing it to the limit. He loved the thrill of danger, refusing to slow down even as a bridge came clearly into view -- even as his vision blurred a little from lack of food.

He hunkered down, steadying himself for a quick zip across the metal grating, when the unexpected happened.

A truck. In his lane, coming head on. Lex shook his head, thinking it was an illusion, but the truck wasn't disappearing. Shocked, he grabbed desperately at the brakes on the right handle. Too hard of a squeeze, too quickly and Lex felt the queasy feeling of a spinout coming on.

Turning ... turning ... and there was no longer any control. The bike spun wildly toward the bridge fence, straight into the river below with Lex still holding onto the handlebars.

I'm going to die, Lex thought, very calmly. I'm going to die here, where I almost died before.

Where I wish I had died and be careful what you wish for because ...

A flash of another face, just as shocked, standing in front of Lex as he flew over the fence and then ... darkness.

Cold darkness. Dreamless peace. No pain, just floating and Lex allowed himself to let go, to sink into the murky depths below. There was no sense of time so it might have been seconds ... or hours ... before Lex felt his chest being assaulted by a pair of clumsy hands, pushing ... pushing ...

Opening his eyes, Lex choked out mouthfuls of water. Everything came back in a rush. The cold ... the light ... the pain and Lex squinted through the bright sunshine, trying to focus on the unfamiliar face above him.

It was the face that had flashed above him on the bridge. How odd. How very odd. "Are you okay?" the face was saying. It belonged to another boy with dark, wet hair and a kind face, kinder than any Lex had ever encountered.

Lex didn't know what to blink at first. "I could have sworn I hit you," he ground out, spitting out the rancid taste of not-exactly-fresh water.

The boy stared at him for a long moment, before shaking his head. "If you had hit me ... I'd be dead."

With that, Lex's rescuer fainted dead away.

* * *

tbc

Chapter Three: Clark and Lex are introduced. School uniforms are improvised, and the first day at SV High begins.


End file.
